Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Milk Cup is a tournament played in Ireland on a yearly basis and this year's tourney will only be remembered for this brawl that broke out between the two nations in the box.

Especially, after what the Mexico national player does at the end of the scrum

Northern Ireland won 2-1, but four players were sent off after the two fights and the match was called four minutes early by the lead official because of all the stuff going on.

Northern Ireland manager Stephen Craigan told the BBC:

"It was not nice. There were young kids here from around the world. They were here to watch a football match; they do not expect to see that. Mexico did it last year - they had a man sent off for punching. They have a history of it. I have to be careful what I say, but I would like to think Mexico will not be back at the Milk Cup."

Here's his sound bite on how he will be an advocate on domestic violence issues with his wife, Janay...
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If this had come sooner, and not in the pee-ahr dumpster fire that is the Baltimore Ravens, there might be a little more credibility here. But the HQ is not really holding its breath on this one...

The greatest hits:

He apologized to his wife

He claimed that he did not have a domestic violence issue before February

He would not go into detail as to what actually went down in the elevator in the moments before the security camera video picks up the two of them pouring out of the elevator

He apologized to any woman who has faced a violent situation

He would not have appealed the suspension- no matter how long it was

But Frank Deford of NPR's "Morning Edition" brought up an interesting tack on the future of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell- basically asking for his head- in his Wednesday commentary.

In part:

Goodell's sideswipe of a punishment to Ray Rice indicates, if nothing else, a cultural ignorance on his part. Remember, this is the businessman who is widely compared to a tobacco executive for so long procrastinating, denying the effects of obvious occupational concussions, a promoter who hanged a good health of his fungible players, even now wants more Thursday games and a longer regular-season schedule. But the NFL is the biggest boon this side of the Internet, so Goodell is cocooned by his ever-richer owners and a phalanx of admiring football reporters. The networks, his breathless partners, are simply bootlickers. The exalted NFL so needs a rector, a magistrate who comes to the game, not from within it. It needs a leader of grace and vision. More and more, Roger Goodell just looks like a slick, selling us 76 trombones.

UCLA AD Dan Guerrero is far more optimistic than a lot of other folks on campus these days.

He says that the Bruins will play inside Pauley Pavilion this season.

Assistant vice chancellor Kelly Schmader is just relaying the facts:

"Basically, it had eight to 10 inches of water all over the court. Crews worked through the night to try to get that water removed and they're currently in the drying process. The court is showing a little sign of buckling and expansion. Whether we'll be able to save that court, I don't know."

According to Schmader, 739 vehicles are still stuck inside two parking structures located in and around the athletic facilities. Some vehicles were completely under water- others just surrounded by water.

Here's the look around the campus from this morning

No word yet on what caused the actual break in the line, but officials think that Sunset Boulevard will be closed for a while. As a main conduit through campus, it is creating all the headaches one can imagine for travel under morning rush hour conditions.

Red Bull Arena will host the National Premier Soccer League final Saturday between the New York Red Bulls Under-23 squad and Chattanooga FC. The final will follow the New York Red Bulls – New England Revolution MLS regular season match.

The Red Bulls Under-23 squad advanced to the NPSL Final with a 2-0 win over Lansing United at Red Bull Training Facility in one semifinals. Sean Sheridan and Mike Innocenzi each scored for the U-23s in a 2-0 win. The U-23s have posted a perfect 14-0-0 record en route to advancing to the NPSL Final in 2014 and have outscored its opponents 62-7.

Here's the highlights from Lansing United

Chattanooga FC earned their berth with a 4-1 win over the Sacramento Gold. This will be the club’s third overall appearance in the final but they have yet to win the title. CFC drew a club record crowd of 8,878 fans last Saturday at Finley for their semifinal match against Sacramento.

However, former Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano didn't meet the first deadline. He still could throw his name into the hat if the trust overseeing the estate of Ralph Wilson extends the deadline.

The three are:

Donald Trump

Jon Bon Jovi in concert (pun unintentional) with Ed Rogers of Rogers Communications and Larry Tanenbaum of MLSE- they would keep the team in western New York, but obviously, would want games at SkyDome

Terry Pegula- current owner of the Sabres

Here's a look at the Pegula bidJohn Kryk of the Toronto Sun has a look at those who came close, but didn't do anything by yesterday's deadline:
"...bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach explored placing a bid, as had C. Dean Metropoulos, owner of the Pabst brewing company.
And Western New York developer Scott Congel had mulled bidding either alone or with someone else, merely to aid his objective to build a new Bills stadium as part of an immense, multi-pronged redevelopment of a large property his family controls in West Seneca, just south of Buffalo."
Look for the trust overseers to start vetting the ownership groups over the next week or so.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

As of 6:20 eastern time this evening, a massive water main break has erupted near all the athletics facilities on the UCLA campus effecting the Drake Track and Field Stadium, Pauley Pavilion, J.D. Morgan Center, the George Kneller Student-Athlete Academic Center, Athletic Hall of Fame and John Wooden Center.

Early reports from KNBC-TV had 36,000 gallons of water a minute escaping from the 30-inch water main break on Sunset Boulevard.

Here's the early news from Sunset

Pauley Pavilion was renovated two years ago at the cost of $133-million. Two parking structures are flooded and taking on water nearby and the intramural fields are reported to be at least 50-percent underwater at present two and a half hours into the emergency.

No word from UCLA athletics at present as to how their facilities are impacted.

The Oakland Raiders are in a crappy stadium (sometimes, literally) at present. The Oakland Coliseum is in dire need of, really, being torn down and being rebuilt as a more state-of-the-art facility. Owner Mark Davis has been trumpeting the notion of a new barn. The NFL agrees with the Raiders. Commissioner Roger Goodell even volunteered the new 49ers stadium as a home for them as a secondary tenant.

Not an idea that the Raiders like...

At...all...

From the Express-News article:

Davis met with city officials, including Henry Cisneros, then-Mayor Julián Castro, City Manager Sheryl Sculley, Mario Hernandez of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, and both Richard Perez and David McGee, the president and chairman of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, respectively.

Cisneros' son-in-law is in corporate sponsorship sales for the Raiders. And the thought is that the Alamodome could be ready in two seasons for any team that wants to play there.

It's not the first time a team would have inherited San Antonio. The Saints played there ten seasons ago as an alternate site for the New Orleans Saints during Hurricane Katrina recovery. The Gunslingers played at Alamo Stadium for their time in the USFL
((HT: ESPN))

There was also the Riders of the World League in the early 1990's

And the Texans from the American incursion of the CFL

The HQ posts all these flashbacks to act as the video portion of the teasing that the Raiders are doing with this dance and courting of a mid-30's television market.

SI's Maggie Gray asks Michael McCann and SI NBA producer Matt Dollinger what the next steps are in his (now) two out-standing (not "outstanding") lawsuits against Shelly Sterling and the NBA

The HQ has long thought that if Donald Sterling wants to take everyone down, he'll do without conscience and without care. He'll dig up the Rich deVos tape from Michigan and anything else that qualifies as Mark Cuban's "slippery slope."

For instance the word "Wool" is in the Giants terminology but when Manning hears McAdoo say that in his Western Pennsylvania accent is sounds like "Roll."“I had to try to figure out what he was saying,’’ Manning said. “He says it his way, I adjust to him. He’s going to say it that way, I just got to know what he’s talking about. Now I know. ‘Roll’ means ‘wool.’ ’’

I wonder if the G-Men have given any thought to hiring someone who speaks fluent southern to relay plays to Eli.Just a thought.

But all the settlement really does is create a fund for baseline testing to see if any college athlete who feels they may have had consistent after-effects of possible concussions really can call the concussion(s) as the cause.

It's a $70-million investment that covers participants in seven sports- both male and female.

The NCAA is also going to implement a single policy for letting athletes back in the game as a survey taken by the NCAA in 2010 disclosed that as many as half of the trainers on site allowed athletes back in their respective games.

10 individual lawsuits were consolidated into one heard in Chicago and the NCAA admits no wrongdoing in the case.

Mike and Mike discuss
((HT: ESPN))

"I wouldn't say these changes solve the safety problems, but they do reduce the risks," Joseph Siprut, the plaintiff's attorney, said. "It's changed college sports forever."

"Changes were necessary to preserve the talent well of kids that feeds the game of football. Absent these kinds of changes, the sport will die."

Judge Michael Levanas has come down with the opinion/ruling that Shelly Sterling acted appropriately in the decision to challenge her estranged husband's mental state in the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Closing arguments the first of three pending Donald Sterling lawsuits were earlier in the day and Levanas ruled Shelly Sterling, tentatively, has the authority to act for the Sterling Family Trust.

The next deadline for the proposed sale to Steve Ballmer is August 15th- the date of the next NBA owner's meetings. But the sale is still tentative pending all other litigation (which sends us back to the other two Donald Sterling lawsuits).

"We are pleased that the court has affirmed Shelly Sterling’s right to sell the Los Angeles Clippers to Steve Ballmer," said NBA spokesman Mike Bass in a statement. "We look forward to the transaction closing as soon as possible."

Donald Sterling's lead attorney, Bobby Samini, says he was told by his client that he was to keep proceeding in other legal activites and "keep fighting on other fronts."

The HQ is involved in the Terry Fox Foundation and its efforts to aid in cancer research and, hopefully, a cure somewhere down the road.

If you don't know his story and the impact he has had in his home country, then we would ask you watch this "30 for 30" project that Steve Nash was part in. Here's Part One of "Into The Wind":

FOSG James Cybulski did a story with then-Raptors coach Jay Triano a few years ago to talk about his relationship with Fox and someone Terry thought was someone very special.
((HT: TSN))

We don't encourage those who follow us on a daily basis to follow what we follow unless you want to do so.
We would just ask that if you have causes that matter to you to hang on to them and never give them up.

The movie is twenty years old and really is making us feel old at the moment...

Timothy Busfield's-Paul Molitor character with the twinkle toes swing
Jonathan Silverman learning the value of pumping up the glove
The hidden ball trick fooling Ken Griffey, Junior
Having Randy Johnson to close a playoff game

And, of course, "Bite Me!"

The star of the movie was invited back in town to celebrate and there's even an FOSG twist at the end of the story

Sunday, July 27, 2014

It's the early rounds of Europa and Champions League qualifying where you have squads from all corners of the continents involved playing other teams from other corners.

In the Europa League, Aberdeen was traveling to the Netherlands and back to play FC Groningen. The Aberdeen supporters even were making the Dutch feel at home with bagpipers walking through the streets.

One guy, apparently, was not a fan...
Watch the left part of your screen, thanks RTV Noord...

No word on if the mental pygmy was booked for illegal bike chucking- although a felony stupidity charge wouldn't have been a bad idea.

Having to start on the pit lane because of disastrous qualifying (and an on-board fire), he almost became the first driver to go from pits to top step. Hamilton finished third, but the larger issue is again between Hamilton and teammate Nico Rosburg. Hamilton was given a suggestion to have Rosburg pass, but Hamilton wasn't going to slow down to make it happen. Rosburg was too far behind to use his in-car "push-to-pass," so Hamilton kept racing his normal race.

Hamilton finished third and Rosburg fourth- the end result being the lead for Rosburg for the title is now down to 11 points at the season mid-break.

Oh, Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo won and Fernando Alonso was second
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Post race, Hamilton defended his stance- as well he should have...
((HT: SkySports))

Now, to the rest of the run...

Sauber was 1 for 2, but their highest finish was 11th- just out of points. Marussia finished 15th and 16th- good for finishing, but bad for points-gathering.

It was disastrous for Force India as both Perez and Hulkenberg

(pictured right, thanks Sahara Force India Formula One Team) didn't finish the race. Hulkenberg qualified 9th and Perez 13th. They're now only one point ahead of McLaren in the team competition in 5th.

“It is disappointing to come away from this weekend with nothing, especially as the race was shaping up nicely for us. Both Checo and Nico were on course for a points finish, but it was not our day. Sometimes, this is how motorsport is. But a negative result must not detract from our great first half of the year because this is the first race in 2014 in which we have not scored points. Despite the missed opportunity, we remain in fifth place in the championship. It was also a fantastic race for Formula One with wheel-to-wheel racing and a great show for the fans. We have the summer break now, an occasion to regroup and come back stronger in Belgium and get ready for the final eight races.”

Caterham and Sauber are still pointless in the season and the day was a long one for Caterham. Both Kobayashi and Ericsson didn't finish the race.

Kobayashi: “It’s obviously a shame we couldn’t finish the race today but an issue with the fuel system meant I had to stop the car as I had no power.

“My start was pretty good – I stayed on the outside to avoid any issues going into turn one and I had good traction out of the first corner, helping me pass a couple of cars and straight away I could push. The car felt good in the wet / dry conditions, they seem to suit us, and my pace in the first stint was pretty strong. We boxed for the first time on lap nine and rejoined on softs and again I had good pace, enough to push me up to 14th.

“I had a big moment with Maldonado when he span after making contact with Bianchi. That’s the third race in a row I’ve had a very near miss and this time I saw him hit the Marussia and then start spinning – I managed to turn in just enough to avoid him hitting me, but there must have only been millimetres in it!

“After that I was into a good rhythm and the balance was fine. We were going to run quite long on that set but then on lap 24 I lost power just after turn 12 and that was the end of my race.”

Marcus Ericsson: “It was quite a good race up until the point where I crashed on lap seven. My start was ok and I was having a good fight with Chilton and Maldonado, trying to line them up through turn three and I was just a bit too eager in the throttle. The back stepped out and I couldn't catch the car and that was it, I was in the wall.

“It was a pretty big shunt! I went to the medical centre straight after the crash and they told me it was about 20g, but physically I feel fine. I’m sorry for the guys on track and back at Leafield though – they put in 100% all the time and it’s obviously not a good feeling for them to see one of their cars in the wall, but we’ll come back fighting in Spa where we have some new parts and we’ll keep pushing, there and for the whole second half of the season.”

If you ask Toronto FC about Saturday night's contest against Sporting KC, they'll come at you from a few different angles.

Head coach Ryan Nelsen will tell you about missed opportunities and a defense that wasn't helping matters, but the players will jump at head referee Ted Unkel and his spotty and inconsistent job performance.

He got some calls right, but others he got wrong and issued 8 cautions when, at times, it wasn't warranted.

“The referee was having trouble giving me calls and maybe it’s because they want me to learn how to play in MLS, and how the style of the league is here. However, I want them to know that I’m not going to roll over. … I’m not somebody who’s going to be a pushover. I want to be treated fairly like every other player,”the Reds' Gilberto told Sportsnet's John Molinaro after the match.

Here's the highlights where you won't see any of Unkel's goofs...

And TFC captain Michael Bradley was less than diplomatic after the match- much like Gilberto, but unlike his coach- demanding that the officiating fix itself post haste...

The news wasn't all that unexpected, but Carl Edwards is out at Roush-Fenway Racing after this season, heading to a fourth car that Joe Gibbs Racing will be adding to their stacks in 2015.

We think...

Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse, Junior and Trevor Bayne (getting a full season ride) are the three for RFR next year.

"I have had the privilege of fielding entries for the world's best race car drivers in NASCAR for nearly 30 years, and feel quite fortunate to have an opportunity to do that again next year," said team co-owner Jack Roush in a press release.

"We have always prided ourselves in developing talent at Roush Fenway, and our 2015 line-up is a testament to the success of our organization in that respect," Roush said. "Greg Biffle is one of the most purely talented racers I've ever seen behind the wheel of a car, and his experience combined with the raw natural abilities, enthusiasm and desire in both Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Trevor Bayne have me very excited for the future. Although we still have a lot to accomplish this year, both John Henry and I are looking forward to going to the track in 2015 with this blend of veteran leadership and youthful potential."

Fastenal stays with RFR and goes to the Stenhouse car. AdvoCare will pair with Bayne.

Here's the instant analysis...

By contract, Edwards cannot announce his future plans until September, but he admits publicly he has plans in place.

It's not very often when we are able to brag...or boast about or even share insight gained from years of covering now-legendary sports figures as they are about to get inducted into a "Hall-of-Fame".

Yet that is exactly what we...or precisely me gets to do today.

I got the pleasure/honor of covering my favorite baseball team (The Atlanta Braves) for 10-years. And before you ask: I was a Braves fan long before covering them. Growing up in Florida in a time before the Marlins and Rays, the Braves were the closest team to us.

Heck, the 1st Major League Baseball game I ever saw was a Braves game in Fulton County Stadium as a 10-year old.

And I got to spend a large chunk of my professional career reporting on them.

Not because they aren't worthy, but because on the baseball field they were all remarkably similar.

((NOTE--For what it's worth, I've done stories with Joe Torre and Frank Thomas who are also being inducted, and both are the epitome of class people. Professionals with boat loads of talent and skill and honest to goodness real people))

This commercial is a classic:

For me and a lot of people I know, it's about the Braves this weekend--

Tom Glavine--The ultimate professional. The go-to guy in the locker room, he's the guy who would always talk in the good times or bad, sometimes when his teammates would bail out.

Glav lockered near teammate John Smoltz (who will be inducted soon), at the Apex of the Turner Field locker room. Tom Glavine was always prepared. It showed on the mound and his dealing with us (The Media).

And more importantly, in a big game, when the Braves needed a win, he always stepped up. Always.

Most Braves fans remember the World Series clincher where Dave Justice hit a home run to give them a 1-0 win over Cleveland. Less remember the starting pitcher who shut the Indians down to 1 hit.

That pitcher: Tom Glavine.

Greg Maddux: The smartest guy in the room. Every room. He didn't necessarily like doing interviews and I'm convinced he was brief and vague with us just to mess with our heads. He fit the teams personality to a "T" and believe it or not, was often the ringleader for practical jokes and keeping his teammates loose. We've heard some funny and gross stories about the jokes, all of which we believe, none of which we'll share....

There was no better artist than Maddux. None. I dragged my father to Maddux's one-hit game vs. St Louis back in 1996. My dad couldn't understand why I would get up to get food or a beer during the Braves at-bat.

The answer...simple: I wanted to watch Maddux pitch.

Me and Mark pre-Spring Training Animation/Courtesy: Chris Ballard

Bobby Cox: The leader. The man all revered but few knew in detail. Which was the way he wanted it. Bobby saw everything, the guys on the team were convinced he either had cameras or spies everywhere.

True story: When I 1st started working in Atlanta (1999'ish..) along with working at the local CBS affiliate, I shot for a company that produced a Sports show weekly. And during baseball season, we'd interview Bobby. I didn't think anything about it at the time, but we'd set up chairs on top of the Braves dugout for the sit-down interview. We'd have to help Bobby get up there because his knees weren't so good. He'd had them both replaced.

But he'd always be ready to go.

The other thing I'll always remember is he called my friend, Sports Anchor Mark Harmon every other sports guy in town's name but his. Never failed.

So if you are reading this on Sunday morning July 27th or even in the early afternoon, tune in and watch. Stop for a little while and see some of my favorite baseball players...and many others favorites as they get the biggest honor in their entire careers, the thing all Major League baseball players live for.

They get inducted into the Hall of Fame....

Here's a story Mark and I produced in 2007. We interviewed Joe Torre, who also was a Braves manager at one point, while he was managing the Dodgers...

According to Larry Brown Sports, there were ten ejections including Reno manager Phil Nevin- and this was in the second inning of the game. And this is the first time in a while that the HQ has seen anything drift in to the stands like that.

Here's the long version
((HT: MiLB.com))
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In 1901, the year Sheckard hit three triples in a game for Brooklyn, he led the National League in triples with 19 and a league best .536 slugging percentage. That same season Sheckard became the first and to anyone's knowledge the only player in the majors to hit inside the park grand slam home runs in consectutive games.In 1903 Sheckard became the first player to lead the league in home runs and steals. Only Ty Cobb in 1909 and Chuck Klein in 1932 are the only other players to achieve that double.Sheckard enjoyed a 17 year major league career and won two World Series titles as a member of the Chicago Cubs.Like Yasiel Puig Jimmy Sheckard was a tough out.

Per the Telegraph, the school has the ability to make Bellamy sit out for two games. Since this incident just happened (5am Saturday, we're posting this at 8:30a Saturday), the University nor coach Mark Richt have commented or had a chance to review what happened.

Only time will tell what they decide to do.

And yes, this season's camp opens in just a few days. It's this time of year coaches get nervous because they don't technically get to keep close tabs on players. And like we said, so far, the week for the Dawgs can't get much worse.

Jacksonville and Birmingham have been playing each other all week in Jacksonville. And when you play each other... and when you see each other in the same confined space all week- then, sooner or later, something was going to happen.

Strangely enough, it was a fairly innocuous single that added to a lead in the ninth inning that lead to this...
17 MINUTES OF THIS!!!!
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Six ejections the HQ expects Southern League president Lori Webb views the above video...

Here's the sound bite in full where the Ravens head coach says he stands behind his running back in light of the two game suspension the NFL gave Ray Rice after his violation of the league conduct policy.
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Rice and his then-fiancee/now wife, Janay, were involved in a physical altercation February 15th at an Atlantic City casino. Rice was shown on surveillance tape from inside the casino physically assaulting Janay and dragging her out of an elevator by her hair.

Rice was charged with aggravated felony assault, but avoided jail time by doing a pre-trial diversion program.
They both met NFL commissioner Roger Goodell four months later at the league office in New York City.

Good to know that you can either smoke something or take something illegal and get a longer suspension than smacking your significant other around and having it seen on video tape.

Ryan Westmoreland was regarded as a five-tool player when the Boston Red Sox drafted him in 2008.

He worked his way through the minor league system and was listed as a team Top 25 prospect in 2010. But he started to experience numbness in his body. Doctors found a cavernous malformation and removed it from his brain stem. The surgery was a success and he attempted a comeback in the 2012 season.

It wasn't to be.

He had to retire in the 2013 season and, currently, suffers from double vision, partial facial paralysis and numbness in the entire right side of his body. He has always been a part of the Red Sox family and the single-A franchise in Lowell, the Spinners, decided Westmoreland would be the first number retired by the franchise.

Here's their tribute video before the retiring ceremony
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The HQ doesn't really post these stories, but the alleged mental slowness angle is the reason we're posting the story.

Two Texas Longhorns wide receivers, Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander, are now both charged with sexual assault and out on personal recognizance bonds. Head coach Charlie Strong has suspended the two players pending the resolution of the case.

So, what's the reason we're posting this story...???

Sanders is also facing an improper photography charge.

Translation: The two players allegedly assaulted a campus acquaintance, but one of the two apparently took pictures.

Campus police are investigating the charge that Meander's room was the location of the alleged assault. The report says that Meander and the woman who eventually went to police had consensual sex before Sanders entered the room and allegedly began assaulting her.

Here's the live shot from outside the jailTexas DB Quandre Diggs on his Twitter account was less than pleased: "It's a shame when people piss away great opportunities, God has given us all tremendous blessings."
That seems to be the prevailing opinion among teammates right now...
Head coach Charlie Strong released a statement on the arrest:
"We've been monitoring and addressing the situation with Kendall (Sanders) and Montrel (Meander) since it was brought to our attention. It's been made clear to everyone on our team that treating women with respect is one of our core values, and I'm extremely disappointed that two young men in our program have been accused of not doing that. With the recent charges against them, they have been suspended indefinitely from our football team and will no longer participate in any team functions."
The on-campus investigation should take a few weeks.

As another signing in the middle-aged, but still incredibly talented soccer players club, the still-not playing NYC FC has added Frank Lampard on a two-year contract to go with David Villa.

Head Coach Jason Kreis now will, probably, send Lampard down to Australia to play in the A-League with Villa since the club, co-owned by Manchester City and the Yankees, has a year to go before their MLS debut.

Here's his introduction
((HT: Sky Sports))

NYC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna is still aglow with the signing:

"He is a professional, a leader and he ticked all the boxes in terms of the qualities to help grow our team."

The larger question is now, other than fitness, Lampard's international career and if he will add to the 106 caps he has for his country.

When you looked at the Starting XI in the Los Angeles Galaxy-Manchester United, there was the prevailing opinion that the Galaxy were more concerned about the MLS regular season than the nearly 86,000 people watching the game at the Rose Bowl were.

ManU put up 7 on a non-starting side with a starting side of their own that included Welbeck, Rooney, Mata, Valencia et al.

It was the worst defeat Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena had as boss...

Louis van Gaal had a good debut as manager, but it's all about what you take from it.

Marcelo Sarvas had the common thought of the Galaxy players:

"I feel embarrassed. I can’t talk about the others, but I feel like that. Doesn't matter who you're playing, I think this is too much -- seven -- and here in Los Angeles. I think we could do much better."

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The first-filed (that's probably the best way to phrase it...) case by Donald Sterling against Shelly Sterling determining who is in charge of the Los Angeles Clippers is finished with its testimony.

Closing arguments begin Monday...

Naturally, both sides, both lawyers, and both Sterlings are thinking that they're doing well in the case.
Here's the word from outside the courtroom...

The closing arguments will detail whether Shelly pulled an end-run in getting control over her estranged husband or if judge Michael Levanas will side with the physicians who have declared him mentally incompetent in running the Sterling Family Trust and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The other two cases Donald Sterling has against his estranged wife and the NBA are still in play at present and have no end of discussions- whether frivolous or optimistic.

One semifinal is in Chattanooga as Chattanooga FC taking on Sacramento Gold...

Chattanooga beat Tulsa Athletics in the South Regional final at Finley Stadium
((HT: Mad Kemp))

Lansing United takes on Red Bulls Under-23's in the other semi at the Red Bulls training facility. The larger issue with this match-up is capacity in New Jersey. It doesn't currently meet minimum standards for attendance in a semi-final and there is no word on how the league is going to have Red Bulls meet capacity- or if they are at all.

The fans in Lansing are less than pleased at the turn of events.
The first year franchise won the Midwest after beating Fort Pitt in the final.
Here's the celebration...
((HT: Lansing United their own selves))

The semi-quiet offseason for the Georgia Bulldogs is quiet no more. And the flurry of activity comes but just days before the opening of camp.

There are two stories here:

(Issue #1):

A "5-Star" recruit has been implicated in a dormitory robbery earlier in July. AJC.com reports Darnell Saloman is wanted by UGA Police as a suspect in the robbery at Busbee Hall where 2 female students reported a stolen I-Phone and a wallet with cash and credit cards. They've issued a warrant for his arrest.

Saloman was in Athens for UGA's "Dawg Night" camp.

Saloman's coach in Florida, Mike Tunsil issued a statement saying his rising junior receiver is innocent and that he'll be cleared of charges.

For you SEC types this raises a few questions. Several columnists in the Atlanta area are using this to say Georgia recruits the wrong type of kid. We would argue college football in general, the SEC specifically has the same problem.

It's the age old dilemma.

How do you compete with teams like LSU who forgave Jeremy Hill after rape and assault charges or Auburn who takes Josh Harvey-Clemons after he's dismissed in Athens.

Are there bad kids in College Football? Yes. Are there kids playing who probably shouldn't be? Absolutely.

The price of admission for an elite team is different than it used to be. You have to hope and cross your fingers kids you bring in behave. You know there's a chance they won't. They're college kids, they do stupid things.

That doesn't excuse either of these kids...or anyone else.

But don't preach on one hand the sanctity of good kids while on the other hand saying you can't compete unless you are pulling from the same pool everyone else is.

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen has resigned his control of the franchise over to team president Joe Ellis after it was disclosed publicly for the first time that Bowlen is fighting Alzheimer's Disease.

"It's a really, really sad day," Ellis told Klis. "It's sad for his family, his wife and his seven children. It's sad for everyone in the organization. And it's sad for all the Bronco fans who know what Pat Bowlen meant to them as an owner. It's a day nobody wanted to see happen."

The team is going to be placed in a Trust, set up over a decade ago, so that eventually one of Bowlen's seven children will eventually run the franchise. Right now, however, it is Ellis's ship.

"As many in the Denver community and around the National Football League have speculated, my husband, Pat, has very bravely and quietly battled Alzheimer's disease for the last few years," Annabel Bowlen said in a statement. "He has elected to keep his condition private because he has strongly believed, and often said, 'It's not about me.'

"Pat has always wanted the focus to be solely on the Denver Broncos and the great fans who have supported this team with such passion during his 30 years as owner. My family is deeply saddened that Pat's health no longer allows him to oversee the Broncos, which has led to this public acknowledgment of such a personal health condition."

Klis also made the point that, under no circumstance, is the team going to be moved.

"This is a sad day for the NFL," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement to The Denver Post. "Pat Bowlen's leadership has been critical to the success of the Broncos and the entire NFL. From building a championship team that is a pillar of the community to his important work for the league on television and labor matters, Pat's love of the game drove him and we have all benefited from his passion and wisdom. But the time has come for Pat to focus on his health and we fully support him. Joe Ellis has been a trusted executive for Pat for many years after working with us at the league office. Joe's deep experience ensures that the Broncos will continue to have strong leadership."

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Donald Sterling is a very busy man in the middle of his probate case going on in Los Angeles.

He filed another concurrent suit in Superior Court seeking damages from the NBA, commissioner Adam Silver, his wife Shelly Sterling, and the Clippers alleging they all violated corporate law in trying to sell the team.

Sterling argues he is the sole owner and shareholder of the parent organization: LAC Basketball Club- that manages and runs the team. His interest in LACBC was in the Family Trust, but he maintains that when he revoked the trust (the crux of the current arguments in probate court), everything went back to his own personal interest and management.

And, therefore, he's the guy in charge of everything- not his wife or anyone else.

Max Bretos checks in with Ramona Shelburne about the latest adventures

And then interim CEO Richard Parsons, as part of his testimony, revealed and reinforced that if Donald Sterling was to remain owner that coach and GM Doc Rivers was checking out.

Bretos and Shelburne again

Clippers fans who have followed the franchises ups and downs for a long time feel this is par for the course and should not be surprised that the final salvo Donald Sterling is interested in firing at any of his detractors is going to just have the franchise in a slow burn of failure- mandated by behavior in the courts of Los Angeles.

If Donald Sterling is going down, he is going to take it all with him...

Glendale (Arizona) Mayor Jerry Weiers is asking the state attorney general to investigate the closed door meetings that the City Council had with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and League Number Two Bill Daly last year.

After days of meetings in 2013, the Council voted by a slim margin to approve the $225-million agreement that keeps the Coyotes in Glendale and the Jobing.com Arena. Weiers voted against the deal and is concerned that the City Council and the NHL violated Sunshine Laws.

If an investigation is opened and a violation is found, the deal could be voided- an issue the HQ raised when all of this went down in the first place. If the deal is torched, the city council would have 30 days to do everything all over again- in an open meeting this time around.

Cliff Lee had a rough outing last night in his first time back on the mound since being on the Disabled List.

The reason the HQ knows it as a rough outing was that he started for our fantasy baseball team.
Lee faced the lights after the game and ended his interview the best way ever...
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It reminds us of the end of the scene in "Ted" where Joel McHale finally got to say good night to Mila Kunis after their date watching Norah Jones.

Monday, July 21, 2014

That's the reason that FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher gave at ACC Media Daze for not suspending (or giving any other kind of discipline for that matter) to QB Jameis Winston for his escapade at the Tallahassee Publix...

Jim Basquil and Jared Shanker discuss

Really...??? Really...???!!!

That's a fine example, sir...

The HQ's over-under for Winston getting into trouble in 2014 is Game 5- since Winston's own father has been asking for the equivalent of 24/7 supervision of HIS KID since he can't do it himself...

Darren Schield, the Chief Financial Officer of the Sterling Trust, took the stand in the court proceedings today in Los Angeles and admitted in open court that the Trust needs to sell the Clippers to cover half a billion dollars in outstanding loans for other Sterling properties.

Once Donald Sterling dissolved the Trust, the banks that are holding the notes could jump in and declare the Sterlings in default of the notes.

If the Clippers aren't sold, Schield admitted that Donald Sterling would have to dump that same amount of value in apartment buildings or other Sterling properties- a move that could flush the real estate market into the toilet.

Here's the coverage from the trial today that isn't all that optimistic

This was NOT a smart scripting move by the WWE last night at their "Battleground" pay-per-view...

The HQ, in our younger days, marked out for the whole Hogan-Sheik-Slaughter-Volkov rivalry thing.
We got it...

But last night, the script writers got this move approved by Lana as she set up the Rusev-Jack Swagger match
(Until it gets pulled)

All it was in the old days was anthem singing, saluting, and embracing ideologies.
But, now that the levels have been elevated and the audience numbers are more important (translation: heat- get it now and keep it as long as you can...)

You pull stunts like that...
Ultimately, for Lana, it's what's on the script to read. It's the writers that are on the block for this one...

Across the board, Big 12 Commish Bob Bowlsby thinks schools aren't being penalized in a timely fashion and the enforcement system that the NCAA is using is "broken."

Cheating pays, Bowlsby says, and he would even be amenable to private investigators looking at enforcing the rules and laws of the NCAA. Bowlsby also admits that not all schools cheat, but those who do can get away with it fairly easily.

The Chicago Blackhawks have a fan convention every year in the summer...

Think Dragon-Con for hockey fans...

Part of it is players reading mean tweets about themselves to fans and another part is a question-and-answer session. Part of it had to do with the new two contract guys- Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews- and it devolved from there...

For the remainder of the Formula One racing season, we're going to talk about very fast cars that travel the globe. There are a couple of different angles to pay attention to- the top...

Nico Rosberg won on home soil holding off Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton- who had to start 20th because of an brake failure in qualifying.

Here's the highlights...
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Rosberg's points lead is now 14 heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix- the official half-way point of the season on the calendar.

And the bottom:

The other part of the dynamic is the team championship. Marussia, Sauber, and Caterham are fighting it out for 9th, 10th, and 11th. If Marussia holds their space, it could be worth $50-million extra dollars. There are three columns that are the breakdown for payouts in the sport. The percentage pile (last year, it was $350-million) meant that 10th was worth four-percent and 11th got nothing.

The previous year's performance column would help Marussia since they placed top 10 last year and could net them up to $35-million extra. That's what makes Sauber and Caterham's pace pick up just a bit.

"16th was about as much as we could have done today – we didn’t quite have the performance to catch Bianchi so now it’s on to Hungary next week for the last race before the August break.”

And 18th with Marcus Ericsson:

“I started from the pitlane so it was always going to be a struggle today. Obviously the safety car on lap one helped but I had to serve the ten second stop / go we’d incurred for breaking parc fermé rules last night after the issue with the power unit straight after the safety car came in, and from that point I was having to try and play catch up for the whole race."

Sauber had the chance to grab a point but Adrian Sutil had to retire and Esteban Gutierrez only finished 14th:

“The whole team did a good job over the weekend. From Friday on we developed the car as best we could. However, 14th position is not satisfying. I was fighting the entire race from the beginning to the end, trying to gain positions and keeping cars behind me. At the moment we are missing the pace to be able to fight with the others in front of us. There was not much that we could do. We need to keep working and focusing on our performance so we can be more competitive in the next races."